Multicultural Evangelism Acts 17:1634

1
Multicultural EvangelismActs 1716-34
2
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• Acts 1716-34 (NLT)16 While Paul was waiting for
  them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the
  idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went
  to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the
  God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the
  public square to all who happened to be there. 18
  He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean
  and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about
  Jesus and his resurrection, they said, This
  babbler has picked up some strange ideas. Others
  said, Hes pushing some foreign religion.

3
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• 19 Then they took him to the Council of
  Philosophers. Come and tell us more about this
  new religion, they said. 20 You are saying some
  rather startling things, and we want to know what
  its all about. 21 (It should be explained that
  all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in
  Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing
  the latest ideas.) 22 So Paul, standing before
  the Council, addressed them as follows Men of
  Athens, I notice that you are very religious, 23
  for as I was walking along I saw your many
  altars. And one of them had this inscription on
  itTo an Unknown God. You have been worshiping
  him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to
  tell you about him.

4
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• 24 He is the God who made the world and
  everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and
  earth, he doesnt live in man-made temples, 25
  and human hands cant serve his needsfor he has
  no needs. He himself gives life and breath to
  everything, and he satisfies every need there is.
  26 From one man he created all the nations
  throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand
  which should rise and fall, and he determined
  their boundaries. 27 His purpose in all of this
  was that the nations should seek after God and
  perhaps feel their way toward him and find
  himthough he is not far from any one of us.

5
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As one
  of your own poets says, We are his offspring.
  29 And since this is true, we shouldnt think of
  God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or
  silver or stone. 30 God overlooked peoples
  former ignorance about these things, but now he
  commands everyone everywhere to turn away from
  idols and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day
  for judging the world with justice by the man he
  has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this
  is by raising him from the dead. 32 When they
  heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person
  who had been dead, some laughed, but others said,
  We want to hear more about this later. 33 That
  ended Pauls discussion with them,

6
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• 34 but some joined him and became believers.
  Among them were Dionysius, a member of the
  Council, a woman named Damaris, and others.

7
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• A Multicultural World
• Means mixture of various beliefs
• Jews God fearing Gentiles
• Epicureans
• Stoics

8
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• Being counter-cultural in a multicultural world
• Beliefs different than the majority
• Athenian idol worship
• Jews God fearing Gentiles
• Often leads to rejection, ridicule,
  misunderstanding

9
Multicultural Evangelism (Acts 1716-34)

• Relevance in a multicultural world
• Contextualization
• Affirm positive aspects of culture
• Embrace truth found in culture
• Examine cultural situations for Gospel
  opportunities
• Being effective at it
• While avoiding becoming changed by it (syncretism)